In the Bleak Midwinter
by MyForever
Summary: CHAP.4 UP The Doctor's landed in a parallel universe, but he isn't sure which one. He meets Melanie, a lonely teenager in need of the Father she's never met and the Mother she's lost, can the Doctor help her? 10Rose.
1. In the Bleak Midwinter

**Part One: In the Bleak Midwinter**

Melanie turned around to face the staff's bathroom mirror while adjusting the black tie around her neck, making sure that the hotel's chain logo was carefully imprinted dead centre of the tie as was staff policy. The tight shirt only just fitted her, "Show's how much Grandma favours Lillith, hey?" and the black skirt was shorter than hotel policy as well, but the pay wasn't very good and she had to pay for anything she needed as well. According to her Grandma, even though her Grandad had a very good job and was able to provide everything for his family, it is good for a young woman to know how to get through her life on her own, and that Lillith had to pay for her stuff as well, "Fat chance," Melanie thought, "Just because Lillith is their daughter and I'm not doesn't mean I shouldn't get the same privileges, I'm their Granddaughter for damn's sake!"

Melanie pulled down her skirt as far as she could so as not to get told off by her boss, and well you didn't know what might happen with some men you get on the late shift, adjusted her tie once more and ran her finger through her long chestnut brown locks – a trait that, according to her Mother when she was a child, she had acquired from her Father – and then left the bathroom.

It was 9pm and it was time to start her late shift at the Grand Carlton Hotel and it was Christmas Eve in 2022.

- DW –

All Melanie's job consisted of was working between 9pm and 6am in the morning at the hotel, waiting on any residents needs and making sure everything was in working order for the days shift. It also meant that she didn't get much sleep apart from when she could grab half and a half shut-eye in the staffroom. Her Grandma also made her go to work on school nights as well, but at least she went to a school that didn't start until 10am so at least she got a few hours sleep.

It was 11pm and she had already had to survive two pervy old men and an old woman asking where the toilet was – in which the reply was, you're already in the bathroom ma'am. "Sometimes," Melanie wondered as her feet carried her up to the second floor to room 203, "I'd love it if this hotel didn't open over Christmas. Surely these people have families to go to? It's Christmas Day in two hours for Christ's Sake! If they are visiting families surely they can put them up, don't they realise that the people that work in the hotels need to have some 'me' time as well?"

Reaching the door of room 203, Melanie knocked, sighed, waited and then knocked again before a tall, brown-haired man opened the door to her and beckoned her in. "I swear, if he's another perv I'm leaving I don't care what Grandma says."

"Hi, Miss…"

The guy seemed nervous, which could go both ways she thought, well, here goes.

"I'm Melanie sir, just Melanie. How may I help you on this Christmas Eve?"

"No surname, Miss Melanie?"

This guy seemed genuine enough, but from her bedtimes stories that her Mum had told her as a child, she knew that not everything could be judged from what you first see and hear.

"Hotel policy, sir. No person under the age of eighteen is allowed to give out personal details apart from their first name and age. It used to just be this company that had that policy but I think the government is enforcing it on all companies soon. They said something about the New Year."

"Ahhhh, alright then. Age? Sorry if I seem to be asking a lot, many people have said that I can come across quite rude. I don't mean to be. I just sometimes… do. I'm rambling aren't I?"

"I'm 16 sir, and it's alright, guests at the hotel tend to ask. And yes to answer your question politely, you were rambling Mister."

"Call me Dr Smith, or John if you'd prefer, but stop with the sir it makes me feel old, although I might be old, I'd rather feel young and youthful."

"Company policy says that titles and surnames must always be used when a member of staff is talking to a guest, under no circumstances is a member of staff under the age of eighteen to call a guest by their first name…"

"Look Melanie, I don't mean to be imposing, but you're 16, you should lead your own life, stuff company policy, if a guest asks you to do something surely that is the first rule? So what's it going to be Dr Smith or John?"

"John, I'd like that, and it's a nice name. Mum always said if I were going to be a boy she would call me John."

"I'm glad you like the name and I'm glad your Mum likes it as well."

Noticing the clock on the bedside table that every room had, she noticed that over half an hour had past since she had first started talking to John. She seemed comfortable with him and she felt like she trusted him but she didn't know why.

"So Melanie, what's a young 16 year old girl like you, doing working at a hotel on the late shift on Christmas Eve?"

"No offence, sir…John but did you call me here for something or just to talk?"

"Oh…" John didn't know how to act he looked uncomfortable, and Melanie hated herself for making him feel like that. "Erm… no it's just I'm new to this area, and it's Christmas Eve just though I could do with the company and that somebody here might as well. I'd perfectly understand if you wish to get back to work. I won't keep you."

"That's alright John, to be perfectly honest, I'd rather be in here talking with you than out there helping an old woman to the bathroom when she's already in it."

Laughing, John sat down on the chair next to the window and motioned for her to sit in the one opposite him. Distantly out of the window she could hear a church with it's bells ringing, no doubt starting Midnight Mass, there was only half an hour till Christmas Day after all. It pained her, this would be her ninth Christmas without her Mother.

"So, answer to my questions, what are you doing here this Christmas Eve? Shouldn't you be home with your family, most likely trying to let your parents stay up too late, and them trying to persuade you that Santa is real? What is it with humans believing Santa isn't real, of course he's real?" John started rambling again after seeing the pain flicker across her face when she sat down, awaiting her answer he studied her face, and then only did he realise that he recognised those eyes, but where? He'd seen so many eyes, but he knew they were important in something.

"Well, I live with my Grandparents and their daughter, Lillith, she's three months younger than me. I've always lived with them but before there was Mum with me as well, but she went missing just two days after my eighth birthday so I've been properly living with them since then. They are still searching for her, but all hope has been lost. When I turned 14 my Grandma got me this job and I've been working here ever since, although until I was 16 I could only do Saturdays during the day. Grandma says Lillith has got a job as well, but I've never seen her with one, she's always spoiled over me. I don't get it from what Mum used to tell me, when Mum started going out with guys, Grandma would slap everyone of them, that Grandma would have died if it meant protecting her daughter. So why now when her daughter is missing, for eight years now, does she favour her other daughter over her granddaughter, the daughter of the daughter that she swore to protect. And another thing I don't get, why am I telling you all of this?"

John chuckled, "We trust each other I guess, believe me I don't realise I'm rambling unless I'm conscious and trust the person in front of me."

Then looking out of the window, she looked across and saw Big Ben, the clock stroked midnight and the wind drifted sounds of music from the church up to them and they heard 'In the bleak Midwinter' start to be sung by the church-goers. In that moment the heavens opened and the snow fell in gallons, in a few minutes the roads and houses were completely covered.

"Merry Christmas John Smith. Have a very Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too Melanie, and a white one at that!"

"Yes, the last time it snowed on Christmas Day was the one when I was seven, my last Christmas with Mum, although I didn't know it at the time."

"Maybe it's a sign, some people are still found after long periods of time, there is still chance."

"You know it's funny that is," Melanie stood up to retreat out of John's room to carry on her work, upon reaching the door, she turned back to him and said, "Every year up until my eighth Christmas I wished for the same thing, that my Dad would swing in on Christmas morning to surprise me saying he loved me, then when I was eight and up until now that's carried on but Mum's been included in it. The last Christmas it snowed, was the last Christmas I spent with my Mum and the first time my Mum told me my Dad's name, well the name he went by. That's the most strange part, sometimes he went as Mr or Dr John Smith, but mostly he went by as the Doctor. Strange I've never heard of a title like that. So maybe the snow is signalling to something, that my Dad is going to swing in and tell me he loves me, say he's sorry for missing out on my childhood, and then whisk me off to find and rescue Mum like he did in those bedtime stories she used to tell me and we'd all be a happy family again."

Melanie wasn't looking at John when she said this, she was staring hard out of the window, watching the snow falling down heavier than before. If she had been looking at John she would have seen how his face paled when she mentioned the Doctor, saw him in take a gasp when he saw the ornate gold thorn-less rose hanging on a chain around her neck. A one of its kind rose that had been made especially for him to give to a special someone.

As he watched her turn to face him, he saw silent tears making their way down her beautiful, rosy cheeks and then that was when he finally realised where those eyes had been when he had last seen them. On the face of the most gorgeous woman he had ever met. She had her eyes, she had her Mother's eyes. She had Rose's eyes.

"Oh and John you said about leading my own life, well here goes, you'll see me soon leading my own life. Remember my name Dr John Smith, never forget it. Miss Melanie Rose Tyler."

And with that she shut the door and made her way back down the corridor, before running back to the bathroom to the tears that were quickly falling down her cheeks, leaving behind the Father that she didn't know she was talking to, who was slowly falling to sit at the edge of the bed in the guest room, who was slowly lowering his head into his hands, letting the tears make crystal tracks down his cheeks, for a love lost. The words of his daughter – he couldn't believe it, his _daughter _– echoing through his head. _They are still searching for her, but all hope has been lost._

**I'm sorry I haven't updated my other fics yet, but I actually dreamt this the other night and I just had to write it, it isn't finished, but you know what I'm like with my other fics, I really need encouragement guys. School is so stressful at the moment I just really don't have the time, I'll try to do this in any spare time I have.**

**I don't like to boast, but I really love the start of this and it nearly made me cry writing it - although I'm not sure why - but please review and let me know what you think. And good reviews please, not just Great, update soon. That's not going to help me. If I have a really good review I'll dedicate Part 2 to that person. Thanks**

**-MyForever-**


	2. Frosty Winds Made Moan

**Chapter Two: Frosty Winds Made Moan**

6am finally arrived on Christmas Morning 2022, and Melanie Tyler finally managed to escape her hellhole of a job, for that was what it was. Tending to old women who had no sense of direction and men that kept looking her up and down was not her idea of fun. However there were some advantages, John seemed like such a nice man._ And if the hotel find out that I went against their policy then stuff them I couldn't care less, John is right I lead my own life, they don't let my life. _And in that second she decided that she wasn't going to let her grandparents rule her life either, or Lillith, the annoying aunt of hers, no they were not going to control who from now on. The other advantages of course were the cute teenage boys that came, sometimes with their families or just to hang out in the bar on Friday nights, she'd already been on two dates with one of the guys, Michael his name, until he and his family moved to America, so she hadn't seen since, they'd kept in touch though, but now they were just friends. Ripping off her tie and changing into a pair of old jeans, she pulled a hoodie on and wrapped a scarf around her neck, then finally she pulled her hair around to the side, lifted the hood up and braved the heavy snow falling down towards the London ground. There were no buses at this time, being it Christmas and all, so she slowly started her trek towards her Grandparents house for another dismal Christmas wishing that more than anything her parents could be there.

-DW-

Half an hour later, standing in the hallway of the Tyler Mansion, was a very wet, cold and shivering Melanie, shaking off the excess water and pulling her red converse off her feet.

"I'm home!" she shouted to the seemingly empty household. This was what it was like every time she got home, her Grandparents didn't acknowledge her welcome, not that it bothered Melanie, half the time she'd rather be on her own than with them, and she was left to find them if she wanted company – well most of the time she didn't want that either, but they would always seek her out sometime later and then she'd have an earful about how they have given her a home and she's being ungrateful and she should respect her elders, and so on and so forth, it was quite tiring really. Hearing laughter coming from the direction of the lounge she chucked her wet socks into her laundry basket near the bottom of the stairs (she had to wash her own laundry incidentally "_It's all part of becoming a respectable young woman" _her Grandma had always told her, but Melanie could remember that her Mum never did her own laundry), slipped on her fluffy green slippers and followed Lillith's laughter.

Standing in the doorway of the lounge she surveyed the scene with distaste. There sitting by the large green Christmas tree that they had had since Melanie could remember (with the same little colourful Christmas lights and the same baubles every year), still in her pyjamas, was Melanie's aunt, Lillith Jo Tyler, obviously not having been to work, smiling and counting how many more presents she had than her niece, while her parents, Melanie's grandparents, looked on smiling at their youngest daughter, not realising that there granddaughter stood, silently and carefully in the doorway.

"Hi," Melanie said dully, only to get a nod of the head from Jackie.

"I've got 21 more presents than you Melly, how do you feel about that?" Lillith teased, using the nickname she knew Melanie hated.

"I couldn't care less."

Melanie sat down on the floor with her legs curled under her waiting for Lillith to start opening all of her presents, which was the procedure every Christmas morning. They would get up at the crack of dawn (it used to be 6, but now they waited until Melanie had gotten back from work – one of the only nice things they had done, however this meant that Lillith gloated the whole time so it was annoying either way, it was a pretty lose-lose situation at home), and Lillith would count how many more presents she'd got (this had only started after Melanie's Mum had died) and then Lillith would boast about her presents while opening them in front of her niece and then Melanie would open her own, quite a lot smaller pile of presents. Then they would both give presents to the rest of their family, and then after that wait for the rest of the family to arrive. And Christmas in 2022 was no different.

An hour later and Melanie had also opened her twelve presents, eight of them were off her friends from school, three off her grandparents (which consisted of a necklace that Melanie knew she would never wear as it wasn't too her taste, and she never took her rose necklace off anyway, pyjamas and £50 – contrary to Lillith's ten presents and £100) and one off Lillith which was a bracelet, and for once something Melanie would wear. To show this, Melanie clasped the bracelet around her right wrist and showed it to her aunt, Lillith was upset that she liked it and turned away in disapproval. This was also a Christmas tradition, Melanie and Lillith had made a deal when they were still very young, only about five or six, that as their parents made them buy presents for each other (of course it was with their parents money then) they would buy each other one present every year, just the one. Neither would complain if they didn't like the present, they would accept it and move on. It had become quite the practice in the later years, that the two of them bought each other presents that the other would not like or enjoy. This was the first present Melanie had received off Lillith that she actually liked. However, neither Lillith nor Melanie knew the real intention for the bracelet, however beautiful and delicate it was, it held and ancient, but deadly secret, and that secret was known by few, even fewer in the universe they were in, but part of the prophecy of the secret and of the bracelet, was that whoever knew of the secret surrounding the bracelet was cursed, cursed beyond human help, cursed beyond alien help, because this bracelet was not from Earth, oh no, it was not from Earth but from a land far away and sadly quite gone, and Melanie and Lillith were one of the furthest people away from the land, however they were two of the most involved, they would get caught up in the secret whether they liked it or not. But those who knew of the secret, those that knew what the holding of the bracelet entailed, sought after the bracelet to destroy it, but once you know of the bracelet, once you know of the secret, once you know of the curse, you will never be alone, because even when you are the only one left upon this Earth, they will always be there, they will never be gone.

-DW-

Three hours later, and Jackie had just put the turkey in the oven and Pete's close and distant relatives were already at the house. Through all the commotion in the house it was a wonder nobody had had a heart attack yet, but thankfully, they were all there, still alive and well, for now. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, which resulted with an argument between Melanie and Lillith about who should answer the door, and Pete deciding that enough was enough, his two youngest residents in the house had had enough arguing for the day and he was finally getting rather sick of the shouting, so he told them to shut up and he got up to answer it himself.

"Hi….ermm….is a Miss Melanie Tyler in please?"

Melanie recognised the voice but couldn't place where she'd heard it before, but knowing it was important, she grabbed the remote off Pete's brother and turned the TV down, from which she received quite scathing remarks and looks.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

At her Grandfather's question she realised who it was at the door and raced up and poked her head around the lounge doorway, there standing on the porch was the man she had been talking to at the hotel that night. Wondering how he had known where she lived she walked closer to the front door.

"Dr. Smith?" she enquired.

"Ah Melanie do you think I could have a word?" He looked rather uncomfortable standing there in the doorway and she realised with a start that he seemed to know the people in the house, but how could that be, she knew – even if her grandparents didn't know that she knew – everybody that her family knew and she'd never met John before.

Just as she was about to reply Jackie walked into the hallway to see who was at the door, when she realised that her husband had gone to answer it and not come back to tell her darling daughter that it was one of her friends, or that charming young man she knew she knew she wanted to see who it was, especially when she noticed how interested Melanie seemed to be. Noticing who it actually was standing on her doorstep she stopped dead and her face was like thunder, and she was only able to mutter one word.

"_You!!_"

Melanie spun round to look at her Grandma before looking back at the man at the door, wondering how they knew each other, and in that split second she saw the sheepish look on John's face, the sheepish look she had been seeing on her own face for sixteen years. Jackie Tyler advanced towards the man she knew as the Doctor, the man that had taken her daughter from her – well hypothetically he had a different face then, but she knew he was the same man – the man that had broken her daughter's heart, the man that had fathered her granddaughter and then left them on a parallel universe with supposedly no way of reaching them. And now all she had left was a missing daughter, and her granddaughter and then she realised how horrible the three of them – Pete, Lillith and herself – had been to Melanie, but that didn't stop her advancing even more quickly on the man standing next to her husband, because as she realised, just that moment, how alike Melanie and the Doctor were, she knew that Melanie would never forgive them for the way they had treated her,

Realising what Jackie was going to do, Dr John Smith started talking, "Wait…just wait a minute… stop right there… there are some very good reasons why you shouldn't-"

Just as Jackie raised her hand to slap the Doctor Melanie ran forwards in front of the man and Jackie's hand connected with her now inflamed red cheek instead of the target she was aiming for, being as Melanie was nearly as tall as the Doctor anyway, it wasn't hard. On reflex Melanie's hand flew to her cheek and she instinctively stepped backwards, right into the Doctor who protectively put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back away from Jackie.

"Melanie, I'm so so sorry, you know I'd never hit you, you know that don't you?"

"Do I?" Melanie asked sadly, she realised then that maybe she hadn't tried hard enough to right their situation at home, but then she had finally realised who the man standing behind her was, he was her Father, her very own Father, and that in coming here had told her in no uncertain terms that he loved and he was sorry, if he never said it to her face, it didn't matter, because she knew, and she know knew that wherever he was he would always love her and he would always, always be there, "You haven't treated me particularly well ever since Mum went missing, how do I know you wouldn't?"

The Doctor turned from his daughter to Rose's Mother, and said, "I'm taking Melanie, Jackie, and together we're going to find Rose, and we're going to rescue her, and then we're going to come back here and you'll give Melanie a proper apology and then they can decide whether they're stopping with here with you and Pete, or coming back to my world, to their world, to their proper home, but between you and me, I don't think you deserve to have them here after the way you treated Melanie." And with that he turned back to Melanie and told her to put some shoes on and grab anything she might need.

Returning in less than five minutes she told him she was ready and just before they made their way out of the mansion, Melanie turned back around to see her Grandpa holding her Grandma in a tight embrace, she saw the silent shakes that her Grandma was making revealing that she was sobbing, and she realised whatever they had done to her, they still were and would always be her family, so she quickly ran towards them kissed them both on the cheek before running back to her Father, grabbing his hands and then the two of them were off.

**A/N: First of all I want to thank everybody who read and reviewed the previous Chapter 2, but as I said my notes on that one I wasn't happy with it. I've started posting this on a forum I'm on (I'm aquila on there) and early this morning around 2am I started reading through this chapter to post on there and suddenly I thought of a good twist and also made it less stiff which I thought it was before. Many people say that when yo**u write** when you're tired it makes the writing better, well I now think that's true. So here is chapter 2.**

**Please review just to let me know, even if it just a few words, but I must say those reviews that have depth and help in are the ones I love the best and the ones that inspire me to keep writing. Thanks**

**-MyForever-**


	3. Earth Stood Hard As Iron

**Okay, so sorry it took two months to get this up but life took over and I didn't have the time or creativity but I had loads of creativity late last night, probably because I was stressed and tired, so I wrote it because I had the time. I really love this chapter even though it hasn't got any action in, but it's just so sweet. Anyway on with the story, and I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter Three - Earth Stood Hard As Iron **

"Where are we going?" Melanie asked for what seemed like the fiftieth time and as always she received the same reply.

"To rescue your Mum."

Nothing else had been said between the two of them for the whole twenty minutes that they had been walking, well the Doctor was walking, but Melanie was practically running to keep up with him, she'd never liked walking fast anyway. When they had first started Melanie had tried to engage the Doctor in conversation but all in vain, so she had given up and tried to find out where they are going, but now it was time for different tactics.

"Yeah, you've mentioned, but _where _are we going?"

"To the TARDIS"

Melanie had heard of the TARDIS from her Mum's bedtime stories, and finally now she was going to see it, her Mum had always described it as magnificent and if Melanie had learnt one thing from those stories it was that the TARDIS was alive and that she didn't like people to regard her as just a dumb machine. But never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she would ever get to see the machine. Well then again for quite a few years Melanie had believed the stories to be just that, stories that her mother had made up to entertain and to help her fall asleep. Melanie had always dreamt of blue boxes and of a mysterious man called The Doctor, although this man's appearance used to change often as her Mum didn't have any photos of him, and although she had described him, Melanie found it hard to picture him.

The two kept walking to their destination, in a hurry to find Rose Marion Tyler. The rose pendant was knocking against Melanie's chest as she ran to keep up with The Doctor, brushing smoothly over her skin, reminding her of the way the rose had no thorns, her heart beating fast, whether it was for the fact she was running, or that she was with her Father (_My Father!_ She still couldn't get over that), or that she was actually going to get in the TARDIS, or that she might have a chance of seeing her Mum again she didn't know, but it kept on beating reminding her of her humanity, the fact that she was alive. She knew that if her Mum was dead she would know in her heart, she believed if her Mum had died her own heart would have stopped with her Mum's, they were so close.

Thinking about her Mum, and how icy cold the weather and the wind around her was, her eyes watered but she refused to cry, even though it was her Dad in front of her, she was going to be strong and not openly cry. Not yet anyway.

Suddenly, she stopped, the Doctor, not realising carried on, but turned at the end of the street when he hadn't heard Melanie's heavy breathing or being able to instinctively feel her beside him. Turning around, the Doctor found Melanie, his daughter, standing stock still in the middle of the pavement, a few citizens who were out striding around her to get out of the wind and the snow to get back to their families for Christmas. He began to stride towards her, his hearts aching to find out what had stopped her, what he had known her for under twelve hours and already he had gone domestic, but then Time Lord instincts were strong and they cared for their offspring so very much, even if they did find it easier to let go when they had grown up.

"What's the matter?" he asked with just enough urgency in his voice to let her know that they needed to find Rose, and quick.

"Sorry, it's just that….. I was just thinking…. Mum, she told me…. You're not human are you? She said you were from Gallifrey… a Time Lord…. But that means I'm not human…. That means that I'm only half – human. Doesn't it?" Melanie stumbled over her words, not sure how to phrase what she was trying to ask, and even when she'd managed to get it all out it sounded stupid even to her, what kind of question is that? He's an alien and her Father; obviously she's not 100 human.

The Doctor's hearts stopped at the pain in his daughters voice, never once had he thought since he found her that she wouldn't be human, he had just taken it for granted. All of his race are dead, but now they're not. This little girl (well, technically she was quite tall) was the continuation of his race, the new generation.

"Yeah, you're correct…. You are only half human and half Gallifreyan, but what that entails I'm not quite sure. But we'll talk in the TARDIS okay? This probably isn't the best thing to be discussing in the middle of London city centre on Christmas Day is it?" Even the Doctor sounded like he didn't know what to say, but with hurried glances in the direction of the TARDIS; he took Melanie's hand and led her away.

His heart wrenched once again, Melanie had not pulled her hand away from her Father's when she had taken it, but even though it was smaller than Rose's it still fit so perfectly. So brilliantly their fingers clasped around each other, tight but with ease, Melanie's hands were small but held tight and were so like her Mother's.

Guiding Melanie round the corner they walked into an alleyway, where there standing in front of them was the TARDIS in all of its blue, 1960's police box glory. Melanie let go of her Dad's hand and walked slowly towards the blue, wooden doors in awe of it's power and brilliance, she had only ever dreamt of this moment and now it was actually happening she wanted to be able to recollect this moment for years.

She lightly pressed the palm of her hand on one of the panels of the door and leant her ear against the wood, she could hear the box humming and there she knew that what her Mum had said about the TARDIS being alive was correct, it really was alive. Softly she whispered Hello, to the box and the TARDIS hummed in a high pitch note back. Smiling she turned back around where she found her Dad leaning casually against the alleyway wall, grinning at the scene in front of him, joyful that his daughter had connected with one of the (now) three main girls in his life. As soon as they got Rose back they could be a proper family, and he was saw neither Rose, nor the TARDIS would disagree to having the Captain around for a bit when they had to go back to Cardiff and he was sure Melanie would love him.

Striding over to where Melanie still had her hand and ear up against the TARDIS he commented, "You'll love it even more inside," and then leaned around her to place his key in the lock and turned it before pushing the door open and spreading his arms out to say "Welcome home."

Glancing at her Dad with a smile on her face, she cautiously placed her foot over the threshold onto the ramp and then quicker put her other foot in front of the right one and walked right up to the central column and the console.

Spinning around she saw the Doctor had followed her in and was watching her from the banisters.

"I know I already knew and you've probably heard it so many times, I just have to say it. It's bigger on the inside!" Melanie started laughing with joy and she started to dance and spin around the console. Laughing himself, the Doctor made his way to the console to see if the TARDIS was okay to travel in the parallel dimension, he knew that it was inevitable for Melanie to say that it was bigger on the inside, and if anybody else had have said it, he'd have probably got annoyed he had heard it so many times, but this was his daughter, his and Rose's daughter, and he couldn't mind less!

The Doctor had fiddled around with some of the controls and Jack's extrapolator and managed to get the TARDIS to fly in the parallel dimension even though he didn't ever think he was going to make it to "Pete's universe" it was there as a necessary precaution especially after the last time he went there with Mickey.

Catching Melanie before she tripped over her own feet, he righted her and then stared at her. Staring back Melanie looked into his eyes, which her Mum had explained so often to her, they really did look like chocolate. Laughing she thanked him for catching her before letting her hands glide over the buttons and switches on the console panel. Watching her Dad out of the corner of her eye, she saw the internal battle going on in his head, the way his hands kept twitching to stop her hands from pressing things that shouldn't be pressed. One side of the battle telling him that he should stop her before she managed to get them back to the original universe and then not being able to save Rose, and the other side telling him that he should trust her, she wouldn't press anything, and she was half-Gallifreyan anyway, she'd have instincts on what to do that most humans didn't. With the exception of Rose anyway, while she couldn't fly the TARDIS she had better instinct and common sense than most of the humans he'd met, although whether that had been because of Bad Wolf or not, he wasn't sure.

"Right, now if you're like most humans and sleep a lot, you'll need a bedroom right?" The Doctor asked, probably a little too enthusiastically.

Melanie's eyes lit up, ever since she was little her bedroom had always been her favourite room of the house. "Yes please," she replied and followed her Dad as he led her down into the confines of the TARDIS.

Down one corridor she noticed an oak door with a carving of a rose on. Lifting her own rose pendant from under her hoody she held it up in front of the one carved on the door and she realised it was the exact same one and she knew then that the door in front of her led to her Mother's bedroom. Her Mum didn't have any of her own stuff, even when Melanie was small she always remembered that while her Mum would be buying new things for her daughter, she would be also buying new things for herself. But behind this single oak door, held her Mum's life, her life up until she had been trapped in a parallel universe. She was itching to look in, to see the photos and the memories, but after glancing at the Doctor he looked back at her with a look that said 'Later', and he led her to the next doorway.

This door was made of a deep cherry oak and he pushed open the door and took her inside. The walls were a deep red, the carpet black, the ceiling white with gold and silver stars. The TARDIS had obviously read her mind as red was her favourite colour, and redecorated the room quickly. In one corner was a large four poster bed, the wood, the same deep cherry as that of the door, the silk red curtains pulled back around the poles, the red and black satin duvet made neatly and tucked in at the corners. On the left was a vanity table made of the same wood as that of the bed and the door, the mirror large and ornate.

None of these things were the ones that caught Melanie's attention the most, sitting atop of the vanity table were four photos in, intricate and ornate photo frames. The first the one on the far left, a photo of Rose at six months old, being held by her parents on their wedding day. The next photo, one of Rose in the hospital holding a baby Melanie in her arms, smiling at her baby's deep brown eyes, wondering where that photo had come from, she heard the TARDIS murmur in her head, of course the TARDIS was brilliant. The next photo was of her Mum with a man in a leather jacket and another man, a man she knew to be Captain Jack Harkness. The fourth and final photo of her Mum with the Doctor as he was now, lying on the apple grass up on New Earth. In the centre of the table the most intricate photo frame lay but there was not a photo present, reaching out to pick it up she realised there was a note stuck inside the glass with writing on. Reading the note, her eyes watered and a lone, solitary tear ran down Melanie's cheek.

"_For when your Mum is back, for when the family is back together."_

She felt the Doctor kiss the top of her head and whisper to her that his room was next door to hers, before leaving her bedroom, gently closing the door behind him. Lightly at the back of her mind she heard the Doctor talk to the TARDIS, she heard her Father say thank you.

**Hope you enjoyed it, please let me know and thanks to all those who have reviewed previously, you're brilliant.**

**-MyForever- **


	4. Water Like A Stone

**Part Four: Water Like A Stone  
**

A couple of hours had passed since the Doctor left Melanie looking at the photos in her bedroom. The TARDIS had done such a good job with her room, and he could tell immediately that Melanie would have the same feelings and protectiveness for the TARDIS that her Mother had.

Working his way back to the Console Room after wandering aimlessly along the endless corridors, the Doctor sat down on the Captain's Chair, studying the TV screen intently.

_I followed the signal all the way from the other universe, it was strong enough to pull me through the void, but now... where's it gone? It was there when I went to the hotel, but ever since then, it's disappeared. What's happened to it?! _ The Doctor was scrambling his brains trying to come up with an explanation for what had happened to the signal he had tried so hard to follow, completely oblivious to his daughter's own mental turmoil.

-DW-

Melanie, after sifting through all of the ornaments, photos, and treasures that had been placed in her room by the TARDIS – some of which she suspected had come from her Mother's room, as they were strikingly similar to some of the trinkets her Mum used to describe to her in her bedtime stories – had thought over the last 24 hours and now had no idea what to do. On the one hand she wanted to go with the Doctor, her Father, who promised to rescue her Mother and then provide them with a proper home, but on the other hand she wanted to interrogate him, scream at him, hit him, for leaving her Mum and why he'd never come to see her. Why, only now, had he come back to her, after 16 long agonising years of yearning for him?

The tears came thick and fast as she began to think of the 8 years she'd spent with her Mum, by no means happy years, but Melanie had always known that she was a Daddy's girl. She remembered the days when she'd long for her Grandpa's embrace, the days when her Grandparents were as loving to her as they were to Lillith, the days when Lillith and she were amiable. The good ol' days.

_25__th__ December 2013_

_A seven-year old Melanie raced into her Mother's bedroom at the crack of dawn, jumping up and down on her Mother's bed she began to shout,_

"_Mummy, wake up. It's CHRISTMAS!! MUMMY MUMMY!! WAKE UP!" Ten minutes later, Melanie's aunt, Lillith ran in to join in and Rose Tyler finally woke up; the peroxide blonde locks strewn all over her head during her restless sleep, and she began tickling her daughter and niece until they agreed to let her get dressed before opening the presents._

_Twenty minutes had passed before all of the family were seated in the living room, Melanie and Lillith practically buried underneath the Christmas trees to make sure the other didn't steal any of their presents. As Jackie Tyler began to hand the presents out, Mickey Smith walked into the living room before handing each of the family their presents and scooping Melanie up into his arms. Squealing with delight, she allowed him to tickle her before begging for mercy and she ran to her Mother to curl up in her lap. _

_Pete Tyler, having been to make the traditional Christmas morning drinks for his family – a classic English tea for his wife and daughter – both of whom had begun to drink more flavoured tea since coming to live in the parallel universe, but neither could resist the classic on the early Christmas morn - a strong coffee for both himself and Mickey, and cinnamon hot chocolate for his daughter and niece – he stooped to kiss each member of his family, giving Mickey, his surrogate son, a brief hug, and retreated to stand in the doorway to survey the scene with delight; his family was complete... And then the chaos ensued. The girls had begun to open the presents._

_31__st__ December 2013_

_The entire family were standing on the top floor of the Torchwood building, in front of the large window that many years previously, Pete and the Doctor had stood looking out of on the day all of their lives had changed forever. Pete stood in the centre, holding Melanie in his arms as she looked sleepily out into the bright, snowy London; Jackie stood next to him with her arm around Lillith who had her long arms wrapped around her Mother's waist watching the distant celebrations; on the other side of Pete stood Rose with one hand clasped over her daughters and leaning into Mickey who had one arm around her shoulder._

_As the minutes ticked down to midnight, the Prime Ministers voice rang out magnified across London, counting down from 10 to midnight._

_10.. 9.._

_Melanie thought about this Christmas and how much fun they'd had as well as the great presents she had received. _

_8.. 7.._

_She thought about how much she loved her Gramps and Gran, as well as her Aunt Lillith and Mickey and most of all her Mummy._

_6.. 5.._

_Melanie wondered just what her Mummy had done with the bracelet that she always wore, why was she suddenly not wearing it? _

_4.. 3.._

_Her thoughts quickly changed topic again, and she wondered where her Daddy was and why he had left her and Mummy._

_2.. 1.._

_I wish my Daddy would come back and tell me he loves me. _

_HAPPY NEW YEAR!!_

_The fireworks exploded in the dark sky, illuminating the white room with all of the colours you could think of, and Mickey commented that it was like the colours of Joseph's Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The family all hugged, kissed each other and wished the others a 'Happy New Year'. But then, Rose broke quickly away from the hug she was in with her Mother and niece and stared out across London. She'd felt it, the shift in the air. Something had changed... And it seemed she was the only one to feel it._

Melanie, still undecided on what to do, lay back upon the softest bed she had ever felt – and she had worked in one of the top hotels in London – and watched the stars on her ceiling twinkle against the black sky, briefly wondering whether the image before her was actually a visual image of the sky somewhere in the universe. Worn out from the tears and the drama, her eyes slowly closed shut, her breathing evened out and Melanie fell asleep, the connections in her mind however, remaining open.

-DW-

So far away from the rest of her family, a woman, middle-aged, but still youthful in her looks, opened her eyes for the first time in so, so long. Glancing around the cold, dark room that she seemed to be lying in, the woman slowly stretched her arms and legs, waking up the muscles and nerves so that she was able to raise herself up to get a better look around. After staggering a few times, the woman grabbed hold of the wall, closing her eyes to help cease the dizziness that had overcome her as soon as she tried to balance on just her two bare and dirty feet.

As the world became one again, the woman felt around on the wall, trying to feel for a light switch, a torch, anything, something other than the rough, dry, mud that the walls seemed to be made out of. Then, just as she was about to give up her mission as a lost cause, she felt a difference in the texture beneath her fingertips, suddenly she was able to make out where fingernails had scratched at the walls, obviously in an attempt to free themselves from their cell. Carefully moving her hand across the scratches in the wall she suddenly came across the flat mud again and following the wall further round she realised that there were no other marks upon the wall than those of the ones she had already felt. The woman could not understand why the person – _or thing_ she thought – had only scratched upon the one wall. _Surely you would try a lot of the wall to be certain that there was no way of escape?_

Her eyes were gradually adjusting the lack of light in the room and she could now vaguely make out where the corners of the room were and – if she got close enough – where the scratching on the wall was. After finding nothing else in the room she sat with her back up against the wall facing the marks and studied them as best as she could, while still being able to see the majority of the room.

The woman, not finding anything significant in the shape of the markings began to let her mind wander. She could not remember how she had got to the cell, she had no idea of the date, or how long she had been out cold for. She only remembered two things, two names. Rose and Melanie. The name Rose felt as if it had connections to her, and she wondered quickly if it was her own name, and with no other knowledge adopted it as her own. The name Melanie, while she felt as if she should have some feelings towards the name, she had none, she felt as if she had a whole which the name was meant to fill but the name didn't seem to be the right size for the hole. _Why can't I remember anything?! _She frantically thought, and a couple of tears skated down her cheeks as she tried to remember something about her life.

-DW-

Pete had explained to a confused Tyler family that Melanie had had to go out before leading Lillith from the living room into the kitchen where Jackie Tyler sat, cradling a mug of steaming cinnamon hot chocolate, with tears still making tracks down her cheeks. Lillith sat across from her Mother, breathing in deeply at the smell only cinnamon and chocolate could make, smiling at the Christmas memories it brought back to her, before frowning deeply and leaning across to talk to her Mother.

"Mum, why are you drinking _that_? You don't like hot chocolate anyway and you detest cinnamon."

Jackie looked up at Lillith, surprised to see her sitting opposite and then back down at the mug in front of her, as if seeing it for the first time. "Mmmhh." Lillith, confused at her Mother's lack of speaking coherently and also at the tears on her face, glanced down at the mug and was startled to see it was Melanie's favourite mug, the one she and Melanie had painted when they were in their second year at school together. Suddenly Lillith knew that there was more to the story of where Melanie had gone.

"Dad?" she asked, knowing that she wouldn't get anything sensible out of her Mother.

Peter Tyler sat down between his wife and youngest daughter and stared solemnly into her face. Looking her straight into the eyes, Pete explained what had happened and where Melanie had gone, along with just whom she had gone with. And then, after a quick look to his wife to see confirmation in her eyes, Pete's eyes became guilty and without moving his eyes from his daughter's, began to explain:

"Lillith... we haven't been entirely truthful with you. I married Jackie Tyler 35 years ago, but that Jackie wasn't the Jackie sitting next to me now, it wasn't the Jackie that is yours and Rose's Mother and Melanie's Grandmother. That Jackie died nearly 20 years ago and then Jackie and Rose came into my life."

Lillith looked scared and frightened at her Father's words, shaking her head as she carried on. At her Father's look of confusion, Lillith whispered out, "So the dreams were true," before running out of the kitchen and to her niece's room where she looked around at Melanie's possessions and quietly said to the room, "I'm so sorry."

**Again I apologise for taking so, so long to get this up, I never realised just how much work the teachers at my school can set on us and just how much of a perfectionist and a workaholic I can be.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Naomitrekkie, who after some brilliant reviews and ideas has got me back in the writing mood and to carry this on and I've had some wonderful ideas for this so I know where I'm going, at least for the while. I'm going to try very hard, even during school time to get on some schedule with this and I ask terribly that you keep with me, I will keep updating!**

**And just to let you know that the Doctor didn't know Rose was pregnant when they parted (the events on Bad Wolf Bay are the same, Rose told him Jackie was pregnant, and Jackie was, but so was Rose) and also Rose never told Melanie why the Doctor isn't around anymore.**

**All I ask is that you please review, it really does inspire me to keep on writing.**

**Thanks.**

**-MyForever- (Aquila)  
**


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